I never realised how Canadian I was until I moved to France. My constant maple-guzzling and peanut-butter-munching really fits the stereotype! Of course, when it came time to bring my boyfriend back home to the Great White North for the first time, I knew that Maple Season would be the best time to visit. And when it is Maple Season, we obviously had to visit a Sugar Shack (or Cabane à sucre for Francophones)! Thanks to White Meadows Farms, we had the perfect sugar bush trek, just a few minutes away from the iconic Niagara Falls. Read all about my visit below!
About White Meadows Farms
The story of White Meadows Farms goes all the way back to 1937 when the Bering Family settled on the rolling hills outside of St. Catharines Ontario. They named their farm after the cheerful daisies that covered their land every spring. Several generations later, the family shifted their farming focus to producing Canada’s favourite sweet treat: maple syrup. Almost a century later, the Berings, have not only perfected their syrup, they innovated new recipes and experiences around it. They also champion environmental sustainability and supporting other local businesses.
The Sugar Shack
We arrived a little early for our tour, so we popped into the sugar shack to learn about how modern maple syrup is made. We then got to taste test different grades of syrup, from golden to very dark (which we learned was best for baking). Already a yummy start!
The White Meadows Farms Trek
It was then time for our visit. We headed out from the farm buildings to the forest in The Sugar Shuttle, which was a real hoot! The short ride was a fun taste of the farm-life experience, bales of hay included.
Once at the forest, we were introduced to our bubbly guide who walked us through the history of maple syrup. Literally! The sunny walk through the woods brought us to different interactive displays that demonstrated how maple syrup was produced throughout the ages.
We learned the ancient methods of our First Nations peoples, the original creators of maple syrup. We then learned about how this knowledge changed as it was passed down to the first European settlers and pioneers. Then again, changes during the industrial revolution, and finally how it is made today. I won’t get into detail so that you can learn about all this during your own visit!
It’s impossible to talk about maple syrup without getting a little sweet tooth craving! At the end of our tour, we were treated to freshly poured maple taffy — one of my favourite things! Maple syrup is boiled down, then poured on clean snow, and then rolled around a tick to create an ooey gooey candy with a concentrated maple flavour. We got to enjoy it next to a campfire. SUPER CANADIAN!
The visit didn’t actually end here. Besides the tour, there are a lot of other things to explore and try out in the Trek. We successfully made our way through a maze. We enjoyed a nature walk through the woods, with maple sap lines on either side. Since this is a real, working maple farm, it was really interesting to see harvesting in action!
We tried our hands at being lumberjacks (is there anything more Canadian than being a lumberjack in a sugar bush?!). After competing in a saw-down to see who could saw a slice of tree trunk the fastest, we got to take home a memento of our visit!
Not in the mood for physical activity? There were lots of amazing photo-op spots too. The whole area was quite beautiful and we even got to see deer in the neighbouring field! It was marvellous.
The White Meadows Farms Campout Lunch
Partway through our visit, we were led away from the main group… and deeper in the sugar bush for a yummy surprise. We were escorted to a campfire cozily surrounded by seats and plaids for a campout lunch!
The menu was completely 
maple-themed with very generous portion sizes. A maple charcuterie box included maple cheddar from local Black River Cheese, crackers, pickle, Red Pepper Maple Jelly, and Maple Onion Jam (my best friend helped develop the recipes for the last two and they were to die for!).
For the main course, we had a choice between maple baked beans, maple turkey chili, and maple beef & chocolate stew. I had the last one and it was super delicious. Great flavour, lots of tender meat. I liked dipping the fresh buttermilk biscuits from De La Terre Bakery (included in the meal) into the sauce too. A perfect dish to enjoy outside beside the campfire!
Dessert was also delightful. We had a choice between maple apple crisp or maple whisky bread pudding. Bread pudding is actually one of my favourite desserts so that’s what I chose, but I got to nibble on my boyfriend’s apple crisp. Indeed, both were decadent and just the right amount of sweetness. I should also note that the food storage did a really impressive job of keeping our food hot!
Finally, to wash down the meal, we had maple tea and Gourmet du Village hot chocolate (as well as bottled water). It was the perfect lunch!
Overall, White Meadows Farms really has it all and it is the perfect sugar bush trek. It is an authentic look inside the world of Canada’s favourite syrup. Not just how it is made, but also how it can be enjoyed too. I absolutely loved my visit and the memories I made there with my boyfriend, best friend, and her hunny will be cherished for a long time. I absolutely highly recommend the White Meadows Farms experience!
PS: A very special THANK YOU to Aarika who organized all this and made it happen! You are the best xo
